The present invention relates generally to computer processing, and more particularly to techniques for generating data models and user interfaces for catalog-type applications.
For some business enterprises, a large number of products or items may need to be organized and categorized for presentation in a clear and logical manner, such as with a catalog. For example, a retailer or a distributor may carry a large number of items in its inventory. These items may then be categorized into a number of groups (e.g., hundreds or thousands of groups) of related items. Each group may include one or more items and may be represented with a “pageset”.
Catalog-type applications such as the one described above are typically characterized by a large number of relatively simple items. These items may be associated with various attributes used to identify and describe the items. If the items can be sufficiently described and uniquely identified based solely on their attribute values, then the attributes may be used to classify the items into groups and to further identify the items in each group.
Each group of items may be represented with “data models” that describe the items in the group. These data models are typically of a particular defined format or schema and include sufficient information such that they may be used to generate user interface (UI) elements, such as frames or screens for a catalog. Items in each group may then be clearly and logically present via these UI elements. For catalog-type applications, the data models tend to be similar from group to group (i.e., pageset to pageset).
Catalog-type applications tend to be large, with many items, and the task of organizing and classifying the items becomes more challenging as the number of items increases. However, catalog-type applications also tend to be repetitive, which affords the use of similar data models for representing the groups of items. Techniques that can be used to automatically generate data models and user interfaces for catalog-type applications are thus highly desirable.